Browns win late, ranked road tests await, and Sunday starts in London

October opened with Cleveland winning on a kick from 56 yards. Now comes a Saturday full of ranked teams on the road, followed by an NFL Sunday that asks you to have the coffee ready early.

Here is the October 2 weekend guide: a Thursday catch-up and a short viewing list for October 3-5. All kickoff times below are Eastern, and TV listings are for U.S. viewers. Results and listings were checked October 2.

Cleveland gets the last word

Browns 27, Steelers 24. Andre Szmyt hit a 56-yard field goal with 10 seconds remaining Thursday, sending Cleveland to 3-1 with its third consecutive win. Pittsburgh had erased an eight-point deficit with a late touchdown and two-point conversion; Cleveland still had enough time to set up the deciding kick. The Browns' official recap has the scoring sequence.

The second quarter did much of Cleveland's work: three touchdowns turned an early 7-0 deficit into a lead. The fourth quarter nearly undid it. That combination makes this a satisfying win with plenty to review, especially the possessions that allowed Pittsburgh back into the game. For a viewer, it was also a good reminder to leave a division game on until the clock is actually empty.

Saturday: pick your road test

Thursday's college finals were North Texas 45, Tulsa 44 and New Mexico State 34, Western Kentucky 13. For Saturday, October 3, these are my four selections from the NCAA's current schedule:

• Noon, ABC: No. 7 Alabama at No. 16 Mississippi State.
• 3:30 p.m., CBS: No. 5 Ohio State at No. 14 Iowa.
• 3:30 p.m., ABC: No. 8 Florida at No. 25 Missouri.
• 7:30 p.m., ABC: No. 4 Miami at Clemson.

My hardest choice is the afternoon window. Ohio State-Iowa and Florida-Missouri put ranked visitors against ranked hosts at the same time. I would start with Florida-Missouri and keep the other score close. Alabama-Mississippi State gives the day an immediate test, while Miami-Clemson is my evening anchor. That is a manageable three-window plan without pretending you can watch every snap of everything.

Sunday starts before the usual Sunday starts

Colts vs. Commanders, Sunday, October 4, 9:30 a.m., NFL Network. The game is at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, as listed on the Colts' official schedule announcement. Set a separate reminder for this one; waiting until lunchtime means missing the opening window.

After London, here are the games I would build around. Times and channels are listed in the NFL's Week 4 game guide and status report:

• Sunday, 1:00 p.m., CBS: New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills.
• Sunday, 1:00 p.m., FOX: Los Angeles Rams at Philadelphia Eagles.
• Sunday, 4:25 p.m., CBS: Kansas City Chiefs at Las Vegas Raiders.
• Sunday, 8:20 p.m., NBC: Detroit Lions at Carolina Panthers.
• Monday, October 5, 8:15 p.m., ESPN and ABC: Atlanta Falcons at New Orleans Saints.

Chiefs-Raiders is my Sunday priority. Both enter 3-0, which gives the late afternoon window an unbeaten AFC West matchup. Buffalo also enters 3-0. If you followed our September 29 catch-up, Bills-Patriots is a natural place to resume watching.

The early afternoon choices overlap, and local broadcast availability matters. Check which CBS and FOX games your market carries before you settle on a viewing plan.

Put the games you care about in one place

My weekend plan is one main game per window, with a second score to follow when kickoffs overlap. Leave room to switch when a finish gets interesting; Thursday already supplied a reason to do that.

Use the full games and TV schedule for the rest of the slate, or select your teams in My Season. The PDF and calendar guide explains the export options if you want the weekend on paper or in your calendar.

Reporting note: linked sources support the scores, records, rankings and broadcast listings. Viewing picks and commentary are our own. This is a dated guide; times and TV assignments can change. Send a correction if you spot an error.